Sign the petition: Investigate FBI and DHS surveillance of activists

Sign the petition

Sign the petition to the House and Senate Judiciary Committees:

“Fulfill Congress’s oversight role by investigating the FBI and DHS surveillance of activists and political organizations. The U.S. government should never subject Americans to surveillance for exercising basic Constitutional rights.”

In a blatant attempt to intimidate peaceful protesters and discourage First Amendment protected activities, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) agents reportedly visited the homes of peaceful activists and community organizers in Cleveland, Ohio recently, asking about their plans for the Republican National Convention.1

This type of behavior is not new. The FBI and DHS have conducted ongoing surveillance of nonviolent social justice activists and political organizations for years. They have engaged confidential informants, infiltrated groups, interrogated organizers and used social media to create dossiers on activists with Black Lives Matter, School of the Americas Watch (SOAW), Occupy Wall Street and anti-Keystone XL Pipeline groups.

Despite these revelations – and demands for an investigation from the Bill of Rights Defense Committee/Defending Dissent Foundation and more than 60 civil society organizations – Congress has so far refused to fulfill its oversight duty and reign in these attacks on our civil liberties.

Tell the House and Senate Judiciary Committees: Investigate FBI and DHS surveillance of activists.

With some congressional Republicans already seeking to use the tragedy in Orlando to make it easier for the FBI to spy on Americans without a warrant,2 the potential for expanded surveillance powers increases the threat to political groups and activists. And details of the FBI and DHS surveillance activities show a pattern of abuse.3

The FBI infiltrated SOAW for 10 years with confidential informants using “counterterrorism authority” — despite acknowledging the group had no relationship to terrorism.

It engaged in similar “counterterrorism” surveillance of the Occupy Wall Street movement.

The use of counterterrorism authority to monitor peaceful social justice organizations and organizers is an attack on politically-protected activity, and is a threat to civil society. Congress must find out who is being spied on, why it keeps happening and take steps to make sure it never happens again.

Our government should never spy on Americans for exercising our basic Constitutional rights. The time is now to build a groundswell of support and pressure on Congress to launch immediate investigations.

Tell the House and Senate Judiciary Committees: Investigate FBI and DHS surveillance of activists.